"Raw food therapy" has been regarded as a health trend in recent years. Experts suggest that it's best to blanch raw vegetables in boiling water before consumption.
Medical Guidance/Professor Zhou Fusheng, Executive Vice Director of the Spleen and Stomach Research Institute at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, and Doctoral Supervisor of the Digestive Department at the First Affiliated Hospital.
Summer is the peak season for fresh fruits and vegetables to flood the market. However, across the ocean in the United States, many people have been "tripped up" by eating raw tomatoes this summer. According to recent statistics, hundreds of people in 30 U.S. states have been poisoned by consuming fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico contaminated with Salmonella. At least 48 patients have been hospitalized due to severe conditions, and one has died.
In our country, "raw food therapy" has also been considered a healthy fashion in recent years. Now that people hear that eating raw fruits and vegetables can also lead to poisoning, many are quite anxious: how can it be prevented? In response, experts point out that not all fruits and vegetables are better eaten fresher. In fact, there are many considerations for eating raw produce. Some vegetables must be blanched in boiling water before being served cold to thoroughly remove dust and insects for better hygiene.
Outbreak: Americans "Poisoned" by Eating Raw Tomatoes.
Eating raw fresh vegetables and fruits like tomatoes is a very common practice for us. However, in the Midwest and South of the United States, hundreds of people have recently experienced symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain after eating fresh tomatoes bought from supermarkets or restaurants. These tomatoes were imported from Mexico.
Currently, dozens of people have been hospitalized due to severe conditions, and there have even been deaths among critically ill patients. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that Salmonella was detected in patients who had eaten these tomatoes. It appears to be a serious outbreak of salmonellosis.
It is reported that Salmonella is the leading cause of death from food poisoning in the United States. Americans are not unfamiliar with this bacteria; about 40,000 cases of Salmonella infection are reported nationwide each year. However, the actual number of infections may be more than 20 times higher, as many mild cases may go undiagnosed. According to incomplete statistics, about 1,000 people die from acute Salmonella infection each year. However, past outbreaks in various states have almost always been related to people eating meat, eggs, or dairy products contaminated with Salmonella. Until now, it has been rare to hear of large-scale Salmonella contamination of fruits and vegetables or major outbreaks among the population caused by them.
In response, Professor Zhou Fusheng explained that this may be because during the growth of tomatoes, due to insufficiently strong ultraviolet light in the air, or because the soil contains Salmonella during the irrigation process, the tomato skins can become contaminated with the bacteria. Coupled with many people's habit of eating raw tomatoes, if they are not thoroughly cleaned, a Salmonella infection is entirely possible. This is not limited to tomatoes; it applies to other fruits and vegetables as well.